We’re denim heads here at Denim Therapy. And we don’t hide it, heck, we embrace it! From the fabric’s humble beginnings in Italy, to the jeans’ current status as an international wardrobe staple–nothing defines American style quite like a sturdy pair of jeans.

This Earth Day, we’re taking a look at where your denim comes from. The manufacturing of a pair of jeans is a long and not-very-eco-friendly process, which involves using up to 11 gallons of water per jean! But the eco-conscious denim movement in is full swing. Between Levi’s recently launching their Water<Less denim line, to Nudie’s denim recycling program, we’re happy to report a positive shift in the business in recent years (see our recent eco-friendly denim roundup here).

To find out a little bit more about the traditional manufacturing process of a pair of jeans, check out this interesting video on how jeans are made from the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made.” The 10-minute segment follows the production of jeans from their humble beginnings in the cotton fields, through to the manufacturing plants and distressing processes. Did you know your jeans were distressed using volcanic rock and lasers?